Clouds Hill Victorian House Museum will host a book signing for Warwick historian Don D’Amato as he releases his newest book “Warwick’s Villages Glimpses from the Past” this Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m.

Since Samuel Gorton’s first settlers on the Conimicut shore agreed to live without formal government, the villages of Warwick have been fiercely independent. Despite their individualism, however, their histories are inextricably bound. The ravages of King Philip’s War left no village unscathed, as settlers lost their houses, livestock and even their lives. England’s trade laws forced these seafaring people to smuggle rum out of Mill Cove, and the famous 1772 burning of the British Gaspee near Pawtuxet ignited the flame of protest across Rhode Island. Tracing the history of five villages, Warwick’s beloved historian Donald D’Amato reveals how Rhode Island’s second-largest city has retained the feel of a small, close-knit community.

D’Amato is the city historian for Warwick and a columnist of the Warwick Beacon and Cranston Herald. He has a BA in History and Political Science from Northeastern University and a MA in History and English from the University of Rhode Island. He is a member of the Warwick Historical Society, the Rhode Island Historical Society, and the Apponaug Improvement Association. He has written a number of books on Warwick.

Clouds Hill, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization is located at 4157 Post Road in Warwick and has been referred to as one of Rhode Island’s hidden treasures. A private home that has remained in the same family since it was built; the house is also a museum. Guests from around the world have found this house to be one of the best examples of Victoriana, “surpassing even the Bellevue Avenue manors in terms of authenticity of its contents”.

Although the museum will not be giving tours during this event, it does offer tours during other pre-planned events and opens to the public by appointment. The next scheduled opening is Sunday, May 17th from 1 to 3 p.m. with special displays on “The Paraphernalia of Driving Horse and Carriage” and “Attire from the 1930’s and 1940’s.”

For more information, please contact Anne Holst or Wayne Cabral at 401.884.9490; or visit our website at www.cloudshill.org.